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A lot of bands come and go. The Japanese shoegaze scene has seen so many really good bands just disappear out of nowhere or break up without notice that I’ve become desensitized to it. Late last night, however, Kansai shoegaze legends Ether Feels announced that its October gig in Taiwan was its last. The band’s members would be splitting up, and Ether Feels would be going on an indefinite hiatus. The news really hit home (enough to get me to come back and post after a few months away).

A lot of bands come and go. The Japanese shoegaze scene has seen so many really good bands just disappear out of nowhere or break up without notice that I’ve become desensitized to it. Late last night, however, Kansai shoegaze legends Ether Feels announced that its October gig in Taiwan was its last. The band’s members would be splitting up, and Ether Feels would be going on an indefinite hiatus. The news really hit home (enough to get me to come back and post after a few months away).

On a personal level, Ether Feels was an extremely important band. I had been to various gigs since moving to Japan in the spring of 2012, but my first ever venture into the heart of the Japanese shoegaze scene was in January of 2013 at the Osaka leg of the Japan Shoegazer Festival. The bill was headlined by the likes of like Lemon’s Chair and Cruyff in the Bedroom, but the band that blew me away was the lesser-known Ether Feels – then a three-piece. The performance was mesmerizing. It says a lot that Ether Feels was the highlight of the night, when Lemon’s Chair also played. Since that night, the band’s founder Tomo, has been one of the coolest, most supportive people I’ve known. He’s one of the really good guys in a scene in which the veterans aren’t always the most pleasant or sincere.

Ether Feels at the 2013 Japan Shoegazer Festival Osaka

Shoegaze in Japan in the early to mid 00s – unofficially referred to as the “golden age” of Japanese shoegaze – was strong but derivative. Shoegaze in the current Japanese scene is often criticized for being too poppy and melodic, and not strong enough. Ether Feels’ sound combines the best of each of these periods. They borrow the requisite “wall of sound” guitar waves from the forefathers of the genre, using that element as a backdrop for their signature melancholy. It’s powerful and sad and the vocal melodies will rip your heart to pieces. Ether Feels’ sound is unique in a genre where pastiche is praised, and that’s helped to establish them as one of the best shoegaze bands on the planet.

I will say that a fair criticism I’ve heard about the band is that their songs can be a bit repetitive. It’s totally true, but I’ve never found it to be a bad thing in Ether Feels’ case. The repetition almost hypnotic (think The Fleeting Joys’ “Kiss a Girl in Black”) The song that stuck with me from the first time I heard it was “Annabelle”. It’s basically just two and a half parts played over and over, but the song hit me hard and showcases the dreamy sadness that made me fall in love with them in the first place.

I’m biased and a bit emotional in light of the news, but the love I have for this band is genuine. It’s been a bit disappointing seeing Ether Feels somewhat underappreciated within the Japanese scene. There’s the perception that the scene here runs through Tokyo, and in particular Koenji HIGH, but Ether Feels managed to forego that step of the process en route to playing all over the country as well as in Taiwan and Hong Kong, while also being included on a massive international shoegaze compilation. All the while, Ether Feels has also helped usher in a new wave of shoegaze bands in Japan, while encouraging the scene to continue to grow in the Kansai region.

If there’s one bit of good news in all of this, it’s that Ether Feels technically isn’t over. Some would argue that the most recent lineup was the band’s best ever, but the fact remains that Tomo is the brains of the operation and he still seems dedicated to continuing what he referred to as his “life work”. It would appear that there is still hope for the future, but for now it’s a good opportunity to sit back and reflect on the career of one of the best Japanese bands in recent memory.

If you’re reading this blog, you’re probably already familiar with Ether Feels’ catalog, but if by some chance you’re not, I recommend diving right in on their Bandcamp page and enjoying everything they’ve done. Sadly, the Raindrop Sparkle CD – my personal favorite – isn’t up here, but the rest of their stuff is great as well.

This time I’ll be looking at Daydream Kyoto Day 2, which will take place at Nijo Nano. Follow the links below for event info and ticket reservations.

Over the last few years, Kyoto Shoegazer has emerged as the biggest showcase of the local shoegaze scene in Japan. This year the Kyoto Shoegazer team has put together Daydream, a four day festival spanning three cities that will kick off in December. The event will host some of the finest shoegaze, dream pop, alt rock, etc. that Japan has to offer. I will be previewing each of the events as they come. This time I’ll be looking at Daydream Kyoto Day 2, which will take place at Nijo Nano. Follow the links below for event info and ticket reservations.

Honeydew

Honeydew is a Tokyo-based alt rock power trio. Originally formed in New York, the band’s sound is influenced by a number of 90s American alternative bands, and versatile enough to appeal to a wide range of fans. Their live performances are ultra-tight, and their high-energy performances are absolutely must see.

me in grasshopper

With members based between the Kansai and Tokai regions of Japan, it’s only fitting that me in grasshopper will be performing at Daydream events in both Kyoto and Nagoya. Over the past few years the band has become one of the flag bearers for the Nagoya shoegaze scene on the strength of their sweet melodies and subtle yet persistent guitar noise. Their 2015 “NEW SATURDAY e.p.” was one of the best of the year. In 2016 the band supported YUCK on their Japan tour, and they will be supporting Brooklyn’s Lazyeyes in Nagoya in January.

Yuragi

Hailing from Shiga prefecture, Yuragi is yet another young, exciting band to emerge from the Kansai-region over the last couple years. Their sweet but strong sound incorporates whispy vocals and big wall of sound guitars driven by uptempo pop beats. 2016 has been a big year for the band with the release of their “bedside” single and the announcement of their upcoming “nightlife e.p.”, which will be out on 12/27. They’ve also announced they will be supporting Lazyeyes on the New Yorkers’ Japan tour.

Acidclank

Acidclank is another one of those exciting young Kansai bands. The Osaka indie rock outfit put out a really impressive album titled nner in 2015, on which they demonstrated their ability to create a range of sounds from shoegaze to psych at a consistently high level. Once a home recording project, Acidclank is now a fully functioning live band that has been gigging a ton over the last year or so. These guys have a bright future ahead of them.

ether feels

There are few active shoegaze bands in Japan that have put out as much consistently good material as Ether Feels. Their melancholy blend of pop and shoegaze has resulted in a sound that is all their own, and their quality has earned them a good amount of attention outside of their home country. Their Daydream performances will wrap up a busy year that’s included gigs around Asia, the release of a greatest hits album titled hen The First Time We Met and an upcoming split EP with Yukino Chaos.

日本でEther Feelsほど、コンスタントに良い楽曲をシーンに提供してきたバンドはそういないだろう。彼ら独自のポップとシューゲイズのメランコリーな配合は、日本国外でも注目を集めてきた。DAYDREAMでのパフォーマンスは、アジア各地でのライブ、ベストオブアルバムhen The First Time We Metのリリース、Yukino ChaosとスプリットEPの共同リリース、と忙しい年の有終の美を飾るだろう。

twelve fluffy chair

Local band Twelve Fluffy Chair offers a sparkly brand of shoegaze pop. The Kyoto foursome recently released their second EP B A R, which features some cute guitar-driven pop tracks. Their strength lies in their ability to write ultra catchy choruses and melodic hooks, as well as adding a little edge to otherwise light, playful songs.

boyfriend’s dead

Boyfriend’s Dead is a Kansai-area shoegaze veteran and a band that adds an element of fun to any gig they play. Their sound is an upbeat, danceable blend of shoegaze and pop, and their energy and stage presence makes for a great live show. The band’s most recent release came in the form of a self-titled EP released on local Osaka-based netlabel Thru The Flowers.

After a fairly lengthy absence that started right around the time of my wedding, Muso Planet is going to be back, and it’ll be a little different this time. Putting together the zine involved a lot of interviewing bands, translating (English, Japanese, AND Spanish), signing contracts with record labels all over the world, editing, doing minor graphic work (which I’m shit at, by the way), etc. It was a lot of fun, but I got away from my original goal of discussing Japanese music.

After a fairly lengthy absence that started right around the time of my wedding, Muso Planet is going to be back, and it’ll be a little different this time. Putting together the zine involved a lot of interviewing bands, translating (English, Japanese, AND Spanish), signing contracts with record labels all over the world, editing, doing minor graphic work (which I’m shit at, by the way), etc. It was a lot of fun, but I got away from my original goal of discussing Japanese music. Now with the blog re-focused on Japan and a somewhat regular radio show – as well as some other fun projects this year – I can’t go all out on the zine, but I can still effectively run Muso Planet in the form of a blog. I’ve admittedly lost some touch with music outside Japan over the last year plus, so this will be a great opportunity for me to dive right back in. This time, I’ll be focusing on reviewing material from overseas in both English and Japanese. While it may not be as thorough as the zine was, I’m hoping that the blog will serve the same purpose effectively while also being a little more accessible with no downloads and everything embedded. Anyway, it should be getting under way soon.